I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 902 

To provide for further comprehensive research at the National Institute of 

Neurological Disorders and Stroke on unruptured intracranial aneurysms. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 9, 2023 

Ms. CLARKE of New York (for herself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. 

RUTHERFORD, Mr. TONKO, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Mr. 

TRONE, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. POCAN, Mr. CASTEN, Ms. KUSTER, Ms. 

DEAN of Pennsylvania, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, and Ms. NORTON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To provide for further comprehensive research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 

on unruptured intracranial aneurysms. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ellie Helton, Lisa 

5 Colagrossi, Kristen Shafer Englert, Teresa Anne Law6 rence, and Jennifer Sedney Focused Research Act’’ or 

7 ‘‘Ellie’s Law’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress makes the following findings: 

3 (1) An estimated 6.6 million people in the 

4 United States, or 1 in 50 people, have an 

5 unruptured brain aneurysm. 

6 (2) Each year, an estimated 30,000 people in 

7 the United States suffer a brain aneurysm rupture. 

8 Ruptured brain aneurysms are fatal in about 50 per9 cent of cases. Of those who survive, about 66 per10 cent suffer some permanent neurological deficit. 

11 (3) Brain aneurysms are more likely to occur in 

12 women than in men by a 3 to 2 ratio. This Act rep13 resents all those who have been affected and died 

14 due to a ruptured brain aneurysm, and their loved 

15 ones. People who experienced a brain aneurysm rup16 ture include the following: 

17 (A) Ellie Helton. On July 16, 2014, Ellie 

18 Helton, a vibrant, loving 14-year-old from Apex, 

19 North Carolina, passed away as a result of a 

20 ruptured aneurysm, stunning her parents, two 

21 sisters, and many, many loved ones. A day ear22 lier, on her second day of high school, she woke 

23 up with a terrible headache after a plum-sized 

24 aneurysm on her brain stem ruptured. While 

25 she suffered headaches throughout her life, she 

26 was never diagnosed. Ellie was an avid reader 


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1 and excellent student, loved the arts, and was 

2 incredibly creative. She had an unwavering, 

3 constant love for the family and friends in her 

4 life. 

5 (B) Lisa Colagrossi. On March 20, 2015, 

6 Lisa Colagrossi—WABC Eyewitness News re7 porter, wife of 17 years, and mother of two 

8 sons—unexpectedly passed away at the age of 

9 49 years after suffering a massive ruptured 

10 brain aneurysm. Despite experiencing one of 

11 the classic warning signs of a brain aneurysm 

12 (the ‘‘worst headache of my life’’), Lisa’s pass13 ing came as a tremendous shock to her family 

14 and friends, who did not know what a brain an15 eurysm was, let alone its signs and symptoms. 

16 She is remembered for being a loving wife, a 

17 mother, and a successful reporter, and for her 

18 love of the New York Rangers. 

19 (C) Kristen Shafer Englert. On November 

20 24, 2013, Kristen Shafer Englert, a devoted 

21 wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, 

22 passed away from a ruptured brain aneurysm 

23 at the age of 25, just weeks after giving birth 

24 to her son. Prior to her passing, she went to the 

25 emergency room with symptoms of a brain anVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Mar 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H902.IH H902

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1 eurysm and was sent home without a scan. 

2 Kristen was a dedicated teacher who loved chil3 dren. She was thrilled to become a mother. 

4 Sadly, she only experienced motherhood for a 

5 few short days. Kristen’s family members have 

6 been dedicated advocates since her passing. 

7 (D) Teresa Anne Lawrence. On December 

8 8, 1983, Teresa Anne Lawrence, a devoted 

9 mother of three, beloved wife, and staple of her 

10 community, collapsed while visiting her son’s 

11 school. She had been struggling with and taking 

12 medication for hypertension for several years. 

13 At age 34, after being unconscious for four 

14 days, she passed away as a result of a brain an15 eurysm. Her loving husband and extended fam16 ily were left to raise their children, whom Te17 resa cherished so much. 

18 (E) Jennifer Sedney. On December 25, 

19 2013, Jennifer Sedney, a beautiful, accom20 plished young woman, passed away suddenly at 

21 the age of 27 from a ruptured brain aneurysm. 

22 Her only symptom was the ‘‘worst headache of 

23 her life’’, which none of her friends or family 

24 realized was a symptom of a potentially fatal 

25 condition. Jenny was a jogger, a disciplined exVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Mar 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H902.IH H902

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1 erciser, and a successful health care consultant 

2 and had recently launched a health blog found3 ed on three principles—‘‘bee curious, bee radi4 ant, bee well’’. Her brother, mother, and father, 

5 and a large devoted network of friends and rel6 atives, remember her every day. 

7 (4) Brain aneurysm ruptures have a significant 

8 fiscal impact on survivors, caretakers, and the health 

9 care community. The annual estimated pre-insur10 ance direct cost of brain aneurysm ruptures to 

11 American patients is approximately $1,400,000,000, 

12 and the estimated direct cost to hospitals each year 

13 is approximately $2,700,000,000. The length of stay 

14 in the intensive care unit is the largest driver of cost 

15 for brain aneurysm ruptures, and estimates do not 

16 reflect indirect costs including travel, food, childcare, 

17 and wage losses for patients and caretakers. 

18 (5) Despite the widespread prevalence of this 

19 condition and the high societal cost it imposes on the 

20 Nation, the Federal Government only spends ap21 proximately $2.08 per year on brain aneurysm re22 search for each person afflicted with a brain aneu23 rysm. 

24 (6) The first three iterations of the Inter25 national Study on Unruptured Intracranial AneuVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Mar 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H902.IH H902

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1 rysms (ISUIA) have advanced researchers’ and clini2 cians’ understanding of how to most effectively man3 age and treat unruptured intracranial aneurysms. 

4 SEC. 3. FUNDING. 

5 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To con6 duct or support further comprehensive research on 

7 unruptured intracranial aneurysms, studying a broader 

8 patient population diversified by age, sex, and race, there 

9 is authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute 

10 of Neurological Disorders and Stroke $10,000,000 for 

11 each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028, to remain avail12 able through September 30, 2031. 

13 (b) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Any funds 

14 made available pursuant to this section shall supplement, 

15 not supplant, other funding made available for research 

16 on brain aneurysms. 

Æ 


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